EP2490558A1

EP2490558A1 - Functional outdoor garment

Info

Publication number: EP2490558A1
Application number: EP09801393A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hung Ho Wong
Original assignee: Jeff Green GmbH
Current assignee: Jeff Green GmbH
Priority date: 2009-10-23
Filing date: 2009-10-23
Publication date: 2012-08-29
Also published as: WO2011047701A1; CN102802454A

Abstract

A functional outdoor garment with multilayer structure comprising: a fabric with at least three defined functional areas, namely an upper trunk (2, 3) for protecting chest and upper back, a lower trunk (4) for protecting the stomach zone and the lower back and a shoulder area (5), which is assigned to at least the shoulders of a wearer's body, wherein the functional areas comprise different grades of insulation and wherein the upper trunk has the highest grade of insulation.

Description

Functional outdoor garment

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

To meet the consumer requirements on physiological wearing comfort and functional performance, more and more innovation technologies are adopted for a modern outdoor garment to against inconstant environment condition and various exercise activities. This innovation is related to the functional outdoor garment design and manufacturing with sophisticated liquid moisture management and buffering behaviors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The basic function of a clothing system is to be as a barrier to protect the human body against the external environment and to adjust the thermal and humidity exchange between the body and its surroundings. Meanwhile, it also generates certain comfort sensations that could be pleasant or unpleasant due to close and continuous interaction between skin and fabric. Temperature and moisture distributions and their transport behavior in clothing, mechanical interactions, such as relative movement, friction and deformation between skin and clothing have been widely recognized as important factors influencing the comfort perceptions, and even the survival of the wearer under various wear situations.

The functional performances and comfort behaviors are extremely important for an outdoor garment, which will be employed as a protective device for a person who will suffer inconstant environment condition and various exercise activities. The heat and moisture transfer behavior of clothing has long been recognized to be critically important for human survival. Factors affecting the thermal behavior of clothing will include dry thermal insulation, transfer of moisture and vapor through clothing, heat exchange with clothing (conduction, convection, radiation, evaporation and condensation), compression, pumping effects, air penetration, subject posture, and so on. For example, hiking in a mountain, maybe the outside is sunshine and hot in the morning when the hiker is at the root, and snowing at the top. The activities level also will be changed from strong during hiking to low during rest and comparing. Another phenomenon can be observed frequently is drops of liquid accumulated at the inner surface of a skiwear after skiing and make the wearer feels very much uncomfortable. These two examples revealed that the thermal and moisture transfer behaviors play an important role in outdoor garment design.

Based on the literature review in the aspect of functional fabric and garment design, extensive researches have been conducted in this area with many prior innovative technologies. For example, US2009093179, CN 101333282 (A) disclosed a method to prepare a fabric with water-proof and moisture- permeable textile with multi layer film structure. CN201139120 (Y) discloses a method to prepare nano far-infrared anion multi-functional sports shoes which are antibiosis, waterproof, moisture-permeable, anti-abrasion and anti-skid. Such kind of published patents are related to a fabric functional enhancement. In the aspect of outdoor garment design, CN201097636 (Y) taught a method to design a coat using water cooling; US2008196140 (A1) disclosed a garment with thermoregulation performance includes a front pouch with side entry openings for warming or resting the hands therein during periods of inactivity, a front pocket located behind the front pouch, and two side ventilation openings. US2007210051 (A1) reported a method to prepare a breathable heater element for a garment or for the lining of a garment such as an outdoor jacket; DE102004007811 (A1) taught a motor cycle jacket design with two layer structure and adjustable ventilating structure; FR2857830 (A1) disclosed a garment structure with special design at back and shoulders to increase abrasion resistant. WO2006098641 (A2) provides a way to increase thermal insulation; WO2006085947 (A2) further taught military combat uniform clothing using nonwoven composite fabric to provide fire resistance properties.

On the other hand, from the view of physiology, Human-clothing -environment is a dynamic interaction system in the means of physical, sensory, psychological and informational. Normal body temperature, measured orally in adults under comfortable environment conditions, ranges between 36.3°C and 37.1 °C. The core temperature is maintained closely at 37.0°C by a number of temperature regulation mechanisms. It is maintained by balancing heat produced by the body with heat exchanged between the body and the environment. Heat is produced by the body as a byproduct of the chemical reactions of metabolism, and approximately 43 % of the energy released by metabolism is used to accomplish biological work. The remaining energy is lost as heat. The changes in body temperatures above and below "normal" levels can degrade exercise performance. Physiologic temperature regulation that is independent of conscious voluntary behavior and behavioral temperature regulation operates through conscious behavior, and includes actions such as modifying activity levels, changing clothes.

Prior research results of physiologist disclosed that the body temperature is controlled by balancing heat production against heat loss. There are three separate mechanisms of heat production including basal heat production, shivering and voluntary exercise, for a normal adult it will generate around 70- 100 Kcal/hr, 500 Kcal/hr and 300 to 1100 Kcal/hr energy respectively. And the thermal regulation controlling system has been influenced by the skin blood flow, sweating and shivering. The skin blood flow is adjusted to change skin temperature for reducing or increasing heat loss, which is assumed to be controlled by temperature signals from the skin and the central core: Sweating is an effective mechanism to release extra heat from the body, which is determined by sweating glands that produce the regulatory sweating. The glands are controlled by the mean body temperature signal and the skin temperature signal. Guyton and Hall in 2000 found that for an unacclimatized person seldom reaches 1 L/hr and for a well-acclimatized person can sweat as much as 2-3 L/hr, when the sweat is evaporated, removes about ten times the basal body heat production. Furthermore, Randall in 1946 reported that the sweat gland population distribution on a body is not evenly, where the highest population is at dorsum of hand and followed by extensor surface, thenar eminence, and chest. This result also indicated that the amounts of sweating at body parts are also different and for the garment design the requirements of moisture transfer behaviors are different. There are two types of sweating, insensible perspiration and sensible sweating, where insensible perspiration is uncontrollable and evaporates before it perceived as moisture on the skin. Sweating is controlled by thermal regulation mechanism and can be perceived as moisture on the skin. Normally the temperature on a skin is around 33°C, and for example doing skiing exercise, the environment temperature maybe at -20°C. It is suggested that in the direction of clothing thickness, there is a temperature grades field existed from skin temperature down to environment temperature. Among them, there are two special temperature points should be considered.

One of them is the Dew point, which is related to temperature and relative humidity (RH). The lower temperature the lower RH is and easier condensation occurred. The other temperature point is the Freeze point (0°C), where liquid water will be change its phase to solid ice.

From above analysis, in a cold environment (below 0°C), the content of water vapor existed in air are lower and is difficult to transfer through a the shell layer of garment which claim have performances like water repellence, wind stop and breathable. The prior arts are taught people to improve the comfort and/or functional performance in many specified aspects and approaching, but fewer of them fully consider the physiological reaction of a wearer, the clothing system and environment as a whole system to design the outdoor garment and to meet the requirements from various of environment condition and actives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to design an outdoor garment with an optimized balance of thermal insulation, liquid/water vapor transfer behavior on the basis of material functional properties, psychological and physiological requirements.

This object is achieved by a functional outdoor garment with a multilayer structure according to the invention which has a fabric with at least three defined functional areas, namely an upper trunk for protecting chest and upper back, a lower trunk for protecting the stomach zone and the lower back and shoulder area, which is assigned to at least the shoulders of a wearer's body, wherein the functional areas comprise different grades of insulation and wherein the upper trunk has the highest grade of insulation.

Through the special design of the outdoor garment the core of the body has always a stable temperature level during wearing the inventive garment. An other advantage is to avoid a critical cooling of the bust or torso of the wearer's body because of the relative high insulation grade of the upper trunk.

According to a further development of the invention it is particularly advantageously provided that the insulation grade of the lower trunk is higher than the insulation grade of the shoulder area. The lower trunk has a taller surface than the shoulder area and its contact surface is directly exposed at wind and rain, which makes it necessary that the stomach zone and the lower back is better protected than the shoulders of a body. Particularly the functional areas are made of fabric with three layers with an inner and an outer skin layer and a core layer. The outer skin layer respectively the outer shell of the fabric is waterproof, wherein the outer skin layer is made of a material with a waterproofness higher than 3000 mm hbO, preferably higher than 6000 mm H2O and has a water vapor permeability higher than 3000 g/m²day, preferably higher than 8000 g/m²day.

The core layers of the different functional areas are made of an insulation material with various thickness grades. The core layer has different specified functions like thermal insulation or regulation and fulfills the expectation on a modern moisture management or buffering material. The moisture regain is normally higher than 3 % and less than 15 %. The core layer of every functional area stretches across the total area of said functional areas. In favor the insulation material is made of about 30 % wool and about 70 % synthetic strands.

Alternatively, it is provided according to another further development of the garment according to the invention that the core layers of the functional areas are made of different insulation materials with various insulation values. The application of different insulation material with various insulation values has advantage, that the thickness of the multilayer structure of the garment can be relative constant. The thermal insulation can be selected based on do value, material thermal conductivity or thermal resistance and environment conditions. ISO 9920, ISO 11079 and ISO 11092 are referred for determination of clothing system. Clo value required under different environment temperature and activity.

The inner skin layer is a material with given moisture regain characteristics and an excellent breathability. Furthermore the inner skin layer achieves the expectations on a modern moisture management performance, where OMMC is higher than 0.5, preferably OMMC is higher than 0.8. In addition the inner skin layer, which is next to the skin, has to be warm, dry, soft and smooth. The garment has therefore a high wearing comfort. The square measure of the lower trunk is about two times higher than the square measure of the upper trunk. The configuration of the surface percentage of both functional areas to each other has the advantage to avoid a critical cooling or overheating of the upper portion of the body. The shoulder area has again a less square measure than the upper trunk.

The garment further comprising two additional functional areas, wherein one area is formed as a collar and the other area is constructed as an axillary zone. The collar protecting especially the neck of the body and the both axillary zones among the sleeves and the upper and lower trunk enable an excellent moisture transport through ventilation channels.

The upper trunk is made of a waterproof outer skin layer, a high moisture regain and high thermal insulation consisting light weight core layer and an inner skin layer with moisture management.

According to the further development of the invention it is provided that the lower trunk and particularly the collar comprises a waterproof outer skin layer, a high moisture regain and high thermal insulating consisting light weight core layer and a water repellent inner layer.

The shoulder area, which including the elbows and the end of the sleeves too exhibit a waterproof outer skin layer, a high moisture regain and a light weight, thinner and compressible padding consisting core layer and a moisture management comprising, elastic inner skin layer.

The axillary zones under every armpit of the body comprising at least a light weight outer skin layer with a high moisture delivery and an inner skin layer with moisture management characteristics and ventilation channels.

The thermal and moisture interaction among the body, outdoor garment and environment are two exchange processes during wearing. The first process is the heat exchanges between body and environment, and the second process is moisture exchanges between body and environment.

During wearing it should maintain the core temperature consistent to control the thermal regulation behavior of the garment and to allow sweating (liquid/ vapor) transfer from the body to environment and prevent liquid (rain) to penetrate from outside to inside.

Summarized from literatures the analysis of human being physiological features and distribution established the sustainable foundation of this innovation. Based on the analysis of environment, exercise activity behaviors and physiological reaction, there are defined five special body areas with different material performance requirements for such an inventive outdoor garment design. The following table shows a summary of requirements for each functional area.

Area Physiological features Garment requirements

Upper Heart and lung Waterproof for out shell trunk Cold sport: chest 9-10.2 cm² High moisture regain,

Back 7.8 cm² High thermal

insulation,

Insensible perspiration: 1-2 g/hr Light weight for middle layer

Sweat glands: Moisture management anterior chest 151 pores/cm² for inner layer

Lower Stomach and liver Waterproof for out shell trunk Cold sport abdomen 8-12.5 cm² High moisture regain,

Insensible perspiration 1-2 g/hr High thermal

insulation, Light weight

Sweat glands: for middle layer

Lumbar region 89 pores/cm² Water repellence/proof for inner layer

Elbow, Cold sport abdomen 7.8 cnV* Moisture management shoulder Insensible perspiration 1-2 g/hr and/or elastic for inner and sleeve layer

Sweat glands: High moisture regain,

Scapular region of back 30 pores/cm² Light, thinner

compressible padding for middle layer

Waterproof for out shell Armpit Cold sport upper arm 5-6.5 cm² High moisture regain, Insensible perspiration 0-7 g/hr light weight middle

layer material

Sweat glands: Ventilation zip

Upper arm, over biceps 177 pores/cm² Moisture management inner layer

Collar and Cold sport abdomen 8.5 -9 cm² Smooth

hood Insensible perspiration 4-5 g/hr Soft,

Sweat glands: Warmth,

Face forehead 167 pores/cm² Water repellence Face buccal (cheek, jaw) 16 pores/cm²

Note:

• High moisture regain indicates its moisture regain >=3 %, prefer Moisture regain around 8 % and <=15 % according to ASTM 2118;

• High thermal insulation/Warmth indicates fabric insulation >=0.1 m Kw^"1 according to ISO 11092 and air permeability > 400 lm²s^"1 according to ISO 9237;

• Light weight indicates the material unit weight <=250 gm^"2, according to ISO 3801 ;

• Water repellence >=4 according to ISO 4920, prefer =5;

• Moisture management performance OMMC >=2, performance OMMC>=4 according to standard SN T 1689.1 -2005

• Smoothness evaluated by KES ((Kawabata Evaluation System) system and SMD <10 micro, the smaller the better

• Softness evaluated by KES ((Kawabata Evaluation System) system and EMC (compressibility, percent, Initial thickness measurements compared to the thickness of the sample at maximum applied force, A higher value indicates greater compressibility) >=120 %.

• Elastic indicates that fabric two way elastic modulus (Weft + Warp) <=5 GPa, the smaller is the better;

Brief description of the drawings.

An exemplary embodiment of the functional outdoor garment according to the invention from which further inventive, non limiting features are obtained are shown in the drawings: Fig. 1 : is a front view of an outdoor garment for protecting the upper portion of the body, and

Fig. 2: is a rear view of the garment of figure 1.

Fig. 1 and 2 show an example of embodiment of an outdoor garment 1 , particularly an outdoor jacket, for protecting the bust or torso of a body according to the invention, adapted more particularly to sporting activities like walking, hiking or climbing.

In the present case the protective garment 1 essentially has five different defined functional areas, namely an upper trunk 2, 3, a lower trunk 4, a shoulder area 5, a collar 6 and axillary zones 7, 8. The shoulder area including further sectors of the sleeves, especially in the region of the elbows 9, 10 and the sleeve 11 , 12 ends, which all have the same configuration of the layer. In the front of the garment is inserted a zip 13, which interrupt the lower trunk, the upper trunk and the collar. The lower trunk 4 has approximate a rectangular shape. The upper trunk 2, 3 is nearly similar designed and almost half as high as the lower trunk. The shoulder area has a trapezoid shape, in order to protect the shoulders effectively.

Further details:

EXAMPLE 1

All the fabric materials are sourced from market directly and the basic physical properties of a material used for this jacket are described as below:

1. The fabric for outmost shell is a 3 layer laminated fabric with waterproofness >=10000 mmH₂O and moisture permeability approx 6000 g/m² day; Clo is around 0.15;

2. The material for second layer is cotton batting with unit weight of 120 g/m² and Clo is around 0.65 and moisture regain is around 6.5 %;

3. Inner layer is nylon woven fabric with unit weight is 102 g/m²;

4. Material for collar is fleece-backed knit with unit weight is thickness

around 5 mm and unit weight is 460 g/m²; [Functional enhancement treatment]

1. Part of inner layer fabric is treated by hydrophilic treatment (for the upper trunk and other places except lower trunk and collar) which will help liquid spread and absorb at inner layer, there are many commercial products/treatment methods can be used at here;

2. Part of inner layer fabric is treated by hydrophobic treatment (for the lower trunk and collar only) which have water repellence effect at inner layer, there are many commercial products/treatment methods can be used at here;

EXAMPLES 2

Further on example 1 ,

• Out shall selected Nylon fabric laminated with PTFE film, waterproof >=15000 mmH₂O;

• Inner layer and collar have the same material as example 1 ;

• The middle layer use polyester: wool=1 :1 blending batting, where the unit weight is 100 g/m² and thermal insulation capacity is 0.82 Clo and moisture regain is around 6 %;

EXAMPLES 3

Further on example 2, multi functional treatment has been conduct on the wool blending batting: the functional treatment recipe is as below: 1. Functional Encapsulated Phase Change Material 2-60 %, prefer 25 %;

2. Binder 2-15 %, prefer 8 %

3. Others water

Detail information on how to prepare Functional Encapsulated Phase Change Material can be refers to another patent "PREPARATION OF COMPOSITE

NANO/MICROCAPSULES COMPRISING NANO PARTICLES" (AU 2006203016). Using spray method to treat the functional solution on batting surface and drying at 100°C for 5 Mins and Curing at 130°C for 2 Mins.

With such treatment the Outdoor jacket also have thermal regulation properties.

EXAMPLES 4

Further on example 2, Antibacterial treatment has been conduct on the wool blending batting; the functional treatment recipe is as below:

1. Antibacterial agent 1- 15 %, prefer 5 %;

2. Binder 2- 15 %, prefer 8 %

3. Others water

Many antibacterial agents are available in the market and can be employed at here but not limited, for example, nano silver antibacterial agent supplied by

Shanghai Huzheng Nano Technology Co., Ltd; Also detail treatment process can be refer to another invention ZL 03142467.8.

EXAMPLES 5

Further on example 1 , Infrared enhancement treatment was conducted on middle layer wool/polyester blending batting.

The treatment receipt is as below:

0.1-15 %, prefer 1.5 %;

2-15 %, prefer 8 %

ITO (Indium Tin Oxides) as a nano indium and tin metal oxide can be used as a functional material to absorb body infrared radiation and keep warm in the cloth-body micro environment. The treatment process is spreading the prepared suspension on batting, dry at 100°C and curing at 140°C for 3 Mins.

Claims

Functional outdoor garment with multilayer structure comprising:

a fabric with at least three defined functional areas, namely an upper trunk (2,3) for protecting chest and upper back, a lower trunk (4) for protecting the stomach zone and the lower back and a shoulder area (5), which is assigned to at least the shoulders of a wearer's body, wherein the functional areas comprise different grades of insulation and wherein the upper trunk (2,3) has the highest grade of insulation.

2. Garment according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation grade of the lower trunk (4) is higher than the insulation grade of the shoulder area (5).

3. Garment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the functional areas are made of three layers fabric with an inner and an outer skin layer and a core layer.

4. Garment according to claim 3, wherein the core layers of the different functional areas are made of insulation material with various thickness grades. £L Garment according to claim 3 'br 4, wherein the core layers of the functional areas are made of different insulation materials with various insulation values.

6. Garment according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the insulation material comprises about 30 % wool and about 70 % synthetic strands.

~L Garment according to one of the claims 3 to 6, wherein the inner skin layer is a material with given moisture regain characteristics.

8. Garment according to one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the square measure of the lower trunk (4) is about two times higher than the square measure of the upper trunk (2,3). SL Garment according to one of the claims 1 to 8, further comprising two additional functional areas, wherein one area is formed as a collar (6) and the other area is constructed as at least one axillary zone (7,8).

10. Garment according to one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the upper trunk (2,3) is made of a waterproof outer skin layer, a high moisture regain and high thermal insulation consisting light weight core layer and an inner skin layer with moisture management.

11. Garment according to one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the lower trunk (4) comprises a water proof outer skin layer, a high moisture regain and high thermal insulating consisting light weight core layer and a water repellent inner layer.

12. Garment according to one of the claims 1 to 11 , wherein the shoulder area (5) exhibits a water proof outer skin layer, a high moisture regain and a light weight, thinner and compressible padding consisting core layer and a moisture management comprising, elastic inner skin layer.

13. Garment according to one of the claims 8 to 12, wherein the axillary zones (7,8) comprise a light weight outer skin layer with a high moisture delivery and an inner skin layer with moisture management characteristics and ventilation channels.